Tumbler-washing machine



March 26, 1929. BURNHAM 1,707,159

TUMBLER WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I... I x 2 5 i 5 5 82 i 1 i l x 5 I IT 87 4 1| F! ii 5 I Qg KQQAMQ RMVD z I I Will March 1929- F. T. BURNHAM TUMBLER WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2% 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet J6 v 7 22 1 March 1929- F. T. BURNHAM TUMBLER WASHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 29, 1925 (BMW @M 03 Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES v 1,707,159 PATENT OFFICE.

FRED '1; BURNHAM, OF NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TUMBLER-WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed December 29, 1925. Serial No. 78,086.

' where the washed tumblers or other articles operated upon are to be delivered and removed from the machine.

The invention consists in various novel combinations and constructional features, and a novel organization, all designed for the attainment of the foregoing and other special objects.

A machine comprising an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of such machine.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof, with the upper half of the machine in vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a view in horizontal sec tion on line 33 of Fig. 1, with the tray to receive the washed articles detached.

Fig. 41- is a bottom view of the machine.

Fig. 5, Sheet 3, isa view showing the machine in verticalsection on the irregular line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the base section containing two tanks and certain associated parts.

Fig. 7 is a view in vertical section of the circulating pump, this view being on a larger scale than the views already mentioned.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view, also on onlarged scale, of thefriction clutch by which the conveyor is driven. Fig. 9 is a view in vertical section on the enlarged scale of the pipe and outlets supplying the rinsing streams of water to the inside of the 'tumbers or other articles operated upon. 1 V

Fig. 10 is a plan View of the tray to which the articles are delivered as they complete their passage through the machine.

Having reference to the drawings,

The machine shown in the drawings is circular in plan,so that the. tumblers. or other articles tobe cleansed, after being presented to the machine, may perform the necessary 7 travel through the machine while being subected to the various processes, and then be delivered closeto their starting point, so as to enable one operator to feed the articles into the machine as well as attend to their removal following their discharge from the carrier by which such travel is produced.

The supporting framework is made in sec tions, viz: a housing 1 which encloses the space which is occupied by'the glasses while under treatment, and also by the overhead washing and rinsing devices, an intermediate section 2 within which are located the conveyor and the lower washing and rinsing'devices, a main base section 3 within which are located the motor and driving connections, circulating pumps, drains, etc., and a tanksection i located at the front of said main base-section 3. l

The housing 1 is made removable from the intermediate section 2, being in this instance capable of being lifted off by means of handles 49, 49, provided on the top 6 thereof.

This removal will afford access to the work-' ing parts it encloses, and to the carrier or conveyor, for cleaning, etc. The lower edge of the shell of housing 1 rests on a seat within a flange 7 on the top edge of the intermediate section 2, brackets 15, 15, Figs. 1 and 2, being applied to the exterior of the said shell. to hook over the top of said flange. Housing 1 is provided with windows 8, 8, Figs. 1 and 2, about its wall, formed of bent glass set in rubber packing strips 9, 9, of H-shaped sec tionwhich embrace the edges of both the glass and the metal of the housing to form a water-tight seal. 7 the interior of he said housing may be inspected. The space at the center of housing 1 1 is shown as utilized as a storage space for the Through these windows supply 10, Figs. 2 and 5, of washing powder, 1

soap, or other material used in the tank containing the washing liquid, an oblong receptacle 100 being made part of the removable housing unit 1 for this purpose, such receptacle being eqiupped with a removable cover 11 which fits about a raised flange or head 12,.

- in the top of the elevated central portion 1 1- of the section 2. The front of the vertical wall of said housing 1 is cut away as indi- :cated in Fig. 1, the space from edge 16 to -.the internally toothed gear 21.

edge 17 of the opening thus formed affording access to the interior to permit the tumblers or other articles operated upon to be placed inside said housing upon the conveyor for washing, and to allow exit of the tumblers, etc, after making the circuit of the machine.

The intermediate section 2 of the machine is in the form of a basin with a raised central portion 14!: upon the crown of which is fixed a circular track 19, L-shaped in cross-section, secured by screws 20, 20, 20, Fig. 3, to the said crown. On this track rests the inner marginal portionof the conveyor, which annu-- lar. The said inner marginal portion is in the form of an internally toothed gear 21, Fig. 3, and from the same radiate a plurality of members 22, 22, Fig. 8, supporting a number of concentric circular tumblersupporting members 23. This conveyor has combined operatively ith it driving, mechanism by which it is rotated slowly. In the present instance the said driving mechanisn'i includes avertical shaft- 25, Fig. 5, and a gear 2 1 at the upper end of such shaft intermeshing with A suitable slip-connection is embodied in the said driving mechanism, in order that the conveyor may be driven in a yielding manner, so that in case of amming of the tumblers within the housing 1 the conveyor may stop moving rather than cause the tumblers to be bro 611. In the present instance, also, the slip-connection is located between the shaft 25 and the gear 24, the latter being so related to the shaft as to enable one thereof to turn independently of the other. The slip-connection comprises a friction clutch shown separately in Fig. 8 consisting of a flange 26 in connection with the gear 24:, and two friction-shoes 27, 27, within the said flange, positively driven from sh aft 25 by means of an H-shaped member 28 keyed to said shaft and having opposite recesses 'ato which tongues 2, 29, on said shoes 27, 27, enter. Expanding coil springs 30, 30, between the opposed extremities of the clutclnshoes 27, 27 hold latter normally in s .inciently iirm engagement with the interior of the flange 26 to insure rotation of the gear 24- and hence of the conveyor so long as no undue resistance to rotation arises through jamming. the shaft 25 receives its rotation through a worm-gear S1 fixed upon its lower end, and a worm 32, F' 4 and 5, upon a ack-shaft 33, the latter driven by means of a wornrgear 330 and worm 331 from the shaft 3 1 of an electric motor 35 mounted within the base 3 of the machine and controlled by a switch 96 on the outside of the base. The shaft-s 25 and and their worm gearing are encased in housings 37 and 35, vertically upward through the bottom of the intermediate "section 2 and being secured thereto by bolts 371 passing through a flange 38 formed on said housing. Ball-bearings 251, 251, are provided for the upper and lower the housing 37 extending portions of shaft 25 in connection with this vertical housing, and a skirt or flange 39 in connection with the gear encircles the upper end of the housing with its enclosed ballbearing and extends some distance down with" in the basin-shaped intermediate section 2, for the purpose of preventing access of water to the upper ball-bearing. To prevent water which may work upward between the housing 37 an d the skirtor flange 39 from reaching the upper hearing from below, a plurality of circumferential water-detaining grooves is made around the upper end of said housing, as indicated in Fig. 5.

In the present machine. as heretofore in many instances, the cleansing of the tumblers 01' other articles operated upon is performed by the use of jets of water. In the present machine the mechanism is preferably designed to perform first the washing of the tumblers with soap solution, second, a preliminary rinsing of the tumblers with disposal of the rinse water into the drain or waste pipe and thence out of the machine, and third, :1 final rinsing of the tumblers with water which is used over again. To these ends, the machine is equipped with a tanlr 10 in the removable tank section 4 to hold a washing liquid, which in practice may be composed of water having dissolved in it soap powder or *ashing powder of some sort, and with a tank ll in said base portion to hold rinsing fluid, which may be clear or substantially clear hot water. Both of these tanks are coupled with a sourc of water supply, which maybe the water supply system of the building in which the machine is installed, preferably a system including water heating provisions. The tanks 10, &1, are provided with inlet-valves 12, 42, controlled in well-known manner by floats 43, 43, which admit additional water into the respective tanks when the contents of the latter falls below a predeterminet. point. In addition, the tank 4:0 is provided with electric heaters iel, 1%, controlled by a switch L51 on the exterior of the machine, to insure the washing solutionbcing lrept sulliciei'itly high temperature. Communication is established by means of a pipe 45, Fig. 4; between the interior of the soap solution tanl' 4:0 and one chamber of a rotary circulating double pump 46, Figs. 4 and 7, the rotors 4:61, 4:62, of which are driven by the shaft 341 of the electric motor 35, aforesaid. This rotary pump, shown in section in Fig. 7, is adapted to circulate both the soapy and the clear water from the two separate tanks 40, d1 the soapy water entering from pipe 45 into the space 4:? of the pump-casing and being forced out by the rotor 461 through outlet t8 and a pipe 49, Fig. 4, into a manifold 50, Fig. 2, within a chamber 511 of intermediate framework section 2, the said manifold having laterallyextending branches 51, Figs. 2 and 3, underlying the conveyor and concentric therewith.

The said manifold has an upright branch,

50]., Fig. 2, which passes upward inside the track 19, within a recess formed in the crown of the raised central portion 14fof section 2, and thence extends radially outward, within a washing chamber 502, Fig. 2, such branch terminating in short transversely extending 511, Fig. 3, through which jets of soapy water will be projected when the pump 46 is in operation. The holes thus permitting the issuance of the soapy wash water are made of large diameter, to reduce the likelihood of their beingclogged by bits of food andother debris passing into the wash water in the course of the use of the machine. In connection with the jet holes in the upper branch 52 there are provided Spreaders 53, 53, Figs. 2 and 3, against which the issuing jets of water impinge, to be deflected downward in a fanshaped spraywhich will be sure to cover all external portions of the tumblers or other articles disposed on the conveyor below them, as, the latter are carried past lIltlle movement of the conveyor. The holes in the branch 51,

beneath the conveyor, are likewise provided with deflectors on the order of those shown 11] large scale at 54 in Fig. 9 in connection'with another part of this machine, which serve to spread the ets upwardly fan-wlse, but to a 'lesser degree than the devices53 just de-' scribed, for the purpose of insuring'all portions of the interiors of the articles placed upon the conveyor in inverted position being reached by the soap solution. from the jets as aforesaid, and having acted upon the articles, the soapy water descends.

within the annular chamber of the basinshaped section 2, between a radial partition wall 56, Fig. 3, at the front of said section and a similar wall 55 at the rear end of branch 51,

and drains back into the tank 40 throughv screens or strainers provided in covers 57', 57, Figs. 8 and 5, which are fitted to a plurality of clean-out holes formed in the bottom of section 2 directly over tank 40. Thus the soapy water is economically used over and over tion pipe 45 extending from the tank 40 to" the'pump 46 has its intake located at such height that at no time shall the water level in tank 40-be reduced low enough to uncover the electric heating arrangements. Thereby overheating of the latter, and resulting in-' After issuing jury are avoided. To guard against the water rising too high-in either the Wash-watertank 40 or the ad oining rinsawater tank 41,

as for instance in case the float valves should fail to shut ofl'the inflow from the source of supply at the right level, outflow of the excess from the respective tanks is provided for by forming in an expanded portion of the partition wall between :the two tanks a well 63 communicating at its bottom with outlet 61. The upper edges of the portions of the'said wall surrounding the said 'well are slightly lower than the main portion of the wall, being at a height corresponding with the limit to be reached by the water- The wall keeps the contents of the two tanks from mixing. When the water in either tank rises above the edges of the well, it overflows into the well 63 and out through the outlet 61;

The tank 41, Fig. 6, whichis intended to contain clear hot watertor rinsing the .articles after they have been washed by the soapy solution, is very similar in construction to the soapy water tank 40 just described. It is connected to the water supply of the building at 64, just as is the soapy water tank, fresh water being admitted under control of float valve 42. It may be equipped with water-heating devices as in the caseof the wash-water tank 40, but if the connection at 64 is witha supplv system. furnishing hot water, the latter will answer for rinsing purposes. lVater is drawn from this tank 41 through an intake 65, Figs. 4 and 6, and

through pipe 66to the other side of the double pump'46, being admitted at 67, Fig.

7, and expelled by the rotor 462, at 68, passing thence through a pipe 69 and an opening 70v (see particularly Fig. 9) in the bottom of the section2 into'a manifold 72 that is partly contained within short compartment 721., Figs. 3 and 5,. divided oil by par-' titions and 71, Fig. 3, whiclirextend up from the bottom of the annulartrough-like portion of section 2. The said manifold 72 extends a short distance around the machine beneath the conveyor, rising in a bend" over the partition '71,Fig. 9, and having a branch 73 which extends upward inside the track'li) and radially outward and terminates 111 branches 74 extending transversely above the conveyorwithin a rinsingchamber 722, Fig.

Both the portion of said manifold underlying the conveyor, and-the branch 7 4 extend ing out over the conveyor at a considerable height thereabove, are provided with holes, as. 724, Fig. 3, from which jets otwater issue when the motor 35 rotatesthe pump 46. As in thecase of the manifold for the soapy vater, these holes have adjacent deflectors '75, 75, 3, in the case otthe overhead ln'anch'74, and smaller deflectors'54, 77, Fig. 9, in connection'with the underlying portion otthe manifold, for spreading the streams issuing. fromthewholes fan-wise. It is to be noted that one hole 76 is provided in the manifold within the compartment of section 2 that is defined by partitions55 and 71. The deflector 77 in connection with this hole 76 has a considerable curve to its portion which is in the path of the stream which issues from this hole. The effect of this is to cause the water issuing from the hole 76 to be deflected so that it will pass over the partition 71 and descend into the compartment lying between partition 71 and partition 56 at the front of the machine, so long as no tumbler or other vessel is in position above said hole to block said spray from so doing. The rinse water thus falling within the latter compartment, together with the rinse water simultaneously issuing from the balance of the holes in said manifold 72, then drains back into the rinse-water tank 41, for use over again, through openings formed above tank 41 in the bottom of section 2 and fitted with covers 57 equipped with strainers, said covers being removable for cleaning pur poses. \Vhen a tumbler or other article resting upon the conveyor in inverted position is carried over the hole or outlet 76 after being subjected to spraying with the soap solution, all the water entering into the tumbler, etc., from this outlet drips back into the compartment bounded by the partitions 55 and 71, and is allowed to run out through a hole 78, Figs. 3 and 5, in the bottom of the compartment, through a pipe 7 9, Figs. 4 and 5, into a passage 80, Figs. 5 and 6, between the two tanks 40 and 4.1, and thence into the outlet 61 and out of the machine. In this way, the rinse-water within the tank 4-1 is kept clean throughout repeated uses, as the articles are given a preliminary rinsing as they travel over outlet 7 6 and deflector 77, to remove the. bulk of the soapy wash-water, and the water thus used is not allowed to return to the rinse-water tank. Yet economy is subserved inasmuch as when no article is in position over the outlet 76, the water discharged here passes over the partition 71 into the compartment receiving the water used in the final rinsing and thence to the rinse-water tank 41, and there is no wastage. In other words, the wastage of water, other than necessitated by changing the soap solution, is only that of the preliminary rinsing, and is proportional to the number of articles washed, and no water ordinarily leaves the machine except such as is actually applied to the articles in the preliminary rinsing. If desired, of course, this preliminary rinsing may be dispensed with, by omitting outlet 76, or plug ging it up, or otherwise. Under ordinary conditions of use, it is not contemplated to install a heater in the rinse-water tank 11, as under the control of float-valve L2 in connection with the said tank the lowering of the level in such tank as a result of the wast age of water in the preliminary rinsing will through the rotation. of the conveyor.

cause a How of fresh hot water from the hot water supply of the building into such tank. To insure the soapy wash water and the rinse-water falling within their proper tankcompartments, a curtain 81, Fig. 5, made up of a number of narrow strips of rubber suspended from inside the top 6 of the housing 1 is placed over the partition 55, such curtain easily parting to let through a tumbler or other article resting on the moving conveyor but stopping the spattering water. Similar curtains 81 are employed at the points where the tumblers or other articles enter and leave the housing 1, to prevent spattering of the water out of the machine. The articles operated upon are placed upon the conveyor by hand at the front of the machine where the housing is open, adjacent edge 16, but are automatically delivered onto an inclined tray 82, Figs. 5 and 10, removably held onto the front of the machine by forked brackets 83, Fig. 5, which fit over the rim of section 2 at the front of the latter, a finger 84 being secured at 85 to one corner of the tray to extend across the conveyor obliquely and divert the articles from it onto the tray as they are brought into contact with said fingei r drainage hole 86 is made in the tray to let off the water draining from the wet articles, a detachable flexible tube 87 leading such water into the drain or outlet 61.

In the drawings, the bearings of shaft 3 1 of the circulating pump have no packing. The said shaft 3 1 is supported by a short bearing between the two rotors, and by a long bearing 88 between the rotors and the motor Alongside bearing 88 the shaft support is formed with a chamber 89 within which is a flange 90, fixed on the shaft, and serving to throw off within the chamber 89 the water which works along the shaft through such bearing 88. A tube 91, Fig. 4-, connected with a nipple 92, Fig. 7, in a hole in the bottom of this chamber conducts this leakage into the pipe 79, Fig. 4c, whence it escapes into the drain. Further, in order to facilitate the cleaning .of the soap solution and rinse tanks without removal of the housing 1 and the conveyor, which by the way are simply lifted oif without any particular manipulation being necessary, the section 2 is provided with additional clean-out holes having covers 93, 93, Fig. 3, equipped with strainers, made in a part of section 2 extending out like a shelf in front of the machine, and giving access to generous passages occupying the bulges at 94-, 95, Figs. 1 and 2, on the base 3 and communicating with the tanks 40 and 41, so that it is an easy matter to reach in and swab out the interior of such tanks by hand at any time. In general, the whole machine is designed to be kept in sanitary condition and in efiicient running order with a minimum of effort.

The machine illustrated and described here- 111 is very compact and occupies very little floor space, It can be attended by one operator, instead of two or more. As will be apparent, thoroughness of cleansing is provided for.

What is claimed as the invention is 1. A, machine for cleansing tumblers and other like articles, comprising a moving eonveyor for the articles to be cleansed, jet devices for discharging Washing fluid upon the articles moved along by the conveyor, a jet device for effecting preliminary rinsing of the washed articles as they are advanced by the conveyor, jet devices for final rinsing of said articles, separate receivers for the fluid which has been used in \vashingand that i which has been used in the final rinsing, a

waste-outlet for fluid sed in preliminary rinsing, and means for producing how of the washing fluid from its receiver to the correspending jet devices and producing flow of the rinsing fluid from its receiver to the other charges into the rinsing fluid receiver, a

waste-outlet through which the fluid that has been used in, the preliminary rinsing makes its exit, and means for producing flow of washing fluid from its receiverto the corresponding jet devices and of rinsing fluid from its receiver to the other jet devices to be used for both preliminary and the final rinsings.

8. A machine for cleansing tumblers and other like articles, comprising a moving conveyor for the articles to be cleansed, jet devices tor discharging washing fluid upwardly and downwardly upon the moving articles, a jet. device at a preliminary rinsing station for discharging rinse-fluid upward into the interior of inverted tumblers and the like to effect a preliminary rinsing of the said interior, a waste-outlet for the fluid used in such preliminary rinsing, jet devices at a final rinsing stationifor discharging rinsefluid upwardly and downwardly upon the moving articles to effect a final rinsing thereof, separate receivers for the wash-fluid and final rinse-fluid, and means for returning fluid from one receiver to the washing jets and from the other to therinsing ets at both rinsing stations.

FRED T. BURNHAM. 

